Russia Zelensky hints at top-level talk on peace for Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hints at high-level negotiations on an end to the war in the country attacked by Russia next week. He did not give any details, but said in his evening video address in Kiev: "Next week there will be important negotiations not only for our delegation, but also for me, and we are preparing solid ground for these negotiations."
28.11.2025, 05:12
SDA
Is a meeting with Trump on the cards?
Following negotiations between the USA and Ukraine in Geneva on a peace plan, there is talk that Zelenskyi could meet US President Donald Trump once again. Kiev and Washington recently signaled that there was a largely common position. There are only minor differences, it was said - although it is possible that this hides the central question of how to deal with the Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine.
Coordination with the USA is to continue over the coming weekend, Selensky announced. "Our team, together with the American representatives, will continue this week - at the end of the week - to bring the points we have after Geneva into a form that paves the way for peace and security guarantees," he said.
Putin wants full control of Donbass before ceasefire
One strand of US efforts next week will be a visit to Moscow by Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff. Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin confirmed an appointment in the first half of the week. However, while traveling in Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia, he reiterated Moscow's tough stance on the Ukraine issue without making any concessions.
Putin once again cited full Russian control over the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in the Donbass as a basic prerequisite for an agreement. "Ukraine's troops will withdraw from the territories they hold, then the fighting will stop. If they do not withdraw, then we will achieve this by military means," he said. Trump has also suggested that Ukraine vacate these territories. Kiev rejects this.
Putin once again denied that Zelensky would still be legitimate as president after the end of his term of office in 2024 and would be able to make decisions for Ukraine. "Let whoever wants to hold talks for them. For us, it is essential that our decisions are internationally recognized by the key international players," said Putin.
Kremlin demands recognition of its conquests
It must be clear that any future attempt to regain Ukrainian territory will be seen as an attack on Russian territory with all the consequences that entails. When asked, Putin named this as an important topic for the upcoming talks with the USA. The first draft of a US peace plan from last week stated that the US could only recognize Russia's de facto control over these territories - i.e. not legally binding.
The only concession the Kremlin leader made was that Russia could give a written assurance that it would not attack any European countries. However, it was untrue that Moscow intended to do so anyway.
Costa: USA will not speak for the EU and Nato
The plan also contained US specifications as to what role the EU and NATO should play in the peace process. In the meantime, the USA has promised not to discuss EU or NATO matters in negotiations with Russia, EU Council President António Costa told Handelsblatt. In a new working paper, "all points concerning the European Union have been deleted. Everything that concerns NATO has also been deleted."
Only the EU could negotiate sanctions, EU membership and frozen assets, Costa said. Trump's first plan had envisaged that the Russian state assets blocked in the EU would be used to rebuild Ukraine under US supervision. This would have deprived the European states of their greatest leverage over Moscow.
